Bill likely would end gun shows at Cow Palace

Updated 10:30 pm, Thursday, March 7, 2013

Sacramento --

Gun shows at the Cow Palace would need the approval of officials in San Francisco and San Mateo County - an almost impossible requirement that would effectively end the shows - under a bill introduced at the Capitol.

The bill, introduced by Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, would require that the boards of supervisors in San Francisco and San Mateo pass resolutions approving gun shows at the Cow Palace in order for them to take place, but supervisors in both places have repeatedly passed resolutions calling for the shows to stop.

The bill is the latest of several attempts over the past few years to limit or stop the gun shows. Previous attempts have died in the Legislature and the most recent was vetoed by then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2009.

"We never give up," Leno said. "We're back again because this issue is still very present in those neighborhoods and rather than ban the gun show we're approaching this from a clearly local control issue."

President Trump addresses nation after mass shooting at Florida SchoolWhite House

Straddles counties

The Cow Palace is on state property that straddles the San Mateo and San Francisco county lines. One block away is the Sunnydale housing project, and other neighborhoods that struggle with gun violence, like Visitacion Valley and the Bayview, are nearby.

Opponents of the gun shows say the events make weapons more accessible to gangs and other criminal elements in the neighborhoods and contribute to overall problems of violence.

The state can't bar the event simply because it is a forum for purchasing firearms, and there are three Crossroads of the West gun shows scheduled at the Cow Palace over the next six months. The promoter of those events did not respond to a request for comment on the legislation, SB475.

Gun shows have taken place there for several decades, and those who purchase firearms are subject to a background check and a 10-day waiting period before they gain possession of the weapons.

Leno and other local elected officials, community members and school officials are holding a press conference at the Cow Palace Friday to highlight the bill.

Sunnydale housing

Shawn Richard, founder and executive director of Brothers Against Guns, has been protesting the gun shows for several years and said the number of such events held annually has decreased. He noted the proximity of the Cow Palace to Sunnydale and other neighborhoods.

"It's not that far away from what's going on in these communities and I feel the state should take some responsibility knowing these are low-income urban areas where the violence is really high," Richard said.

He said he would dispute any claim that the guns bought at the show don't eventually wind up being used on the streets.

"Of course promoters of gun shows tell you that's not happening. But they don't know what's happening after people buy these guns," he said.

Rudy Valintino, executive director of United Playaz, another violence-prevention organization, said some of the money generated by the gun shows should be used for education and intervention programs.

He said he understands that there are Second Amendment rights to have guns, but "at the same time you've got a weapon that is killing communities."